eBook Chapters

Q. 1 An ellipsoidal object has three axes measuring 40 cm, 20 cm and 20 cm respectively. The volume of the object is
(A) 4.23 liters       (B) 8.38 liters
(C) 12.63 liters     (D) 17.05 liters

The undesirable constituents includes the toxicants and other adulterants in the feed which are not suppose to be there in the feed and presence of these substances either make the nutrients of feed less utilizable or even the feed become toxic for consumption by animals. Hence it is very essential to find out the presence and also the amount of that substances on which basis decision may be made that the particular feed stuff or ingredient is safe to be consume by the livestock or that has to be rejected. The common undesirable constituents of the feeds are given below in detail:

To Estimate the DNA Using Diphenylamine

Introduction

DNA estimation is helpful to know about the total amount of DNA of prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic system. One method used for DNA estimation is Diphenylamine assay, is that of Burton who modified the original procedure of Dische. This procedure is based on treatment of nucleic acid with hot perchloric acid to hydrolyze DNA nucleotides. Diphenylamine reacts specifically with deoxyribose in DNA to form a blue-colored complex. Since diphenylamine does not react with ribose, one can assay for DNA in the presence of contaminating RNA.

Principle

The DPA method is based on the colorimetry measurement of products formed by the reaction of ù- hydroxylevulinaldehyde (from the deoxyribose released after depurination of DNA) with diphenylamine in 2.5 N perchloric acid.

When DNA is treated with diphenylamine under acidic condition (PCA) a blue complex is formed with a sharp absorption maximum at 595 nm (600 nm). In acid solution, the straight chain form of the deoxypentose is converted to highly reactive ω – hydroxylevulinaldehyde that reacts with diphenylamine to give blue complex. The reaction yields two mixture of product which together have absorbance maximum at 595 nm (600 nm). Interferences include proteins, lipids, saccharides and RNA. In DNA the only deoxyribose of the purine nucleotides reacts, so that the value obtained represents half of the total deoxyribose present.

Introduction

Biochemistry is branch of life science which deals with the study of chemical reactions occurring in the living cells and organisms. The term biochemistry was first introduced by German chemist Carl Neuberg in 1903. Since biochemistry is associated with the biological reactions and energy changes associated with these reactions or transformations within the living cell, biochemistry may thus be treated as a discipline in which biological phenomenon are analysed in terms of chemistry. The branch of biochemistry for the same reason has been variously named as “Biological Chemistry” or “Chemical Biology”. Modern biochemistry has two branches descriptive and dynamic biochemistry. Descriptive biochemistry deals with qualitative and quantitative characterization of the various chemical components of cell and the dynamic biochemistry deals with the elucidation of the nature and the mechanism of reactions involving these chemical cell components.

Qualitative analysis of biological sample deals with the examination of the organic or inorganic cell associated components in order to determine its composition. It denotes the presence of various biomolecules, elements or groups of elements that are present in the sampling population. It is possible to determine whether a particular component is present or absent in a sample by performing a qualitative analysis of the sample. Qualitative analysis is the identification of elements, species and/or compounds present in a sample.

1. Introduction

The interest in the uses of medicinal plants has grown considerably from the mid of 20^th century with the introduction of phytochemical analysis of natural products from various plants parts (Matos, 1996). Most studies survey specific local communities to examine patterns of use of plant part for treating various aliments along with the influence of economic and social variables on plant use (Albuquerque, 2006). Medicinal plants are the base for the development of new drug, which is the basic mode of survival of human and livestock from many diseases to maintain their healthcare (Uddin et al., 2014). Number of studies has been carried out globally on ethnomedicinal uses of plants among various indigenous communities (Alexiades and Sheldon, 1996; Basualdo et al., 1995; Martin, 1995). Particularly from the region Karbi Anglong, Assam (Teron and Borthakur, 2012, 2013; Terangpiet al., 2014; Teronpi et al., 2015) have also conducted many notable work on ethnomedicinal. While in all these studies qualitative approaches have not been adapted to document ethnobotanical information. The quantitative approaches on ethnobotany have grown steadily in the last two decades. Today researchers have developed and applied quantitative methods to the various ethnobotanical data to test different hypotheses about the relation between plant species and humans (Reyes-García et al., 2006). Quantitative ethnobotanical indices were applied to determine how important these plants are to ethnic and indigenous cultures whether, as food, veterinary medicine, human medicine or economic value from various non-timber forest products (Pieroni, 2001; Upadhyay et al., 2011; Reyes-García et al., 2006). Therefore, the aim of this study was to document the various uses of the medicinal plant Geophila repens (L.) I.M. Johnst by the Karbi tribe and to apply quantitative methods to determine the specific importance of these plants for treating particular ailment. G. repens is a very rare plant with high medicinal potential (Roy et al., 2011) and is global distribution is reported from India (Assam, Meghalaya, Andaman Islands and Western Peninsula); Bangladesh; Bhutan; Sri Lanka; Nepal; Malaysia; South China; Fiji; Tropical America; and Africa.

Introduction

Watershed management has emerged as an important research area in recent years. Understanding the morphology of the catchment is one of the widely used methods for watershed management. Morphometry is the measurement and mathematical analysis of the configuration of the earth’s surface, shape, and dimension of its landforms (Agarwal 1998; Obi Reddy et al., 2002). The study of watershed is very useful in drainage basin evaluation, silt erosion control, flood frequency analysis, watershed prioritization, natural resources management, and conservation (Waikar and Nilawar, 2014). The significance of morphometric analysis is highlighted in the basins that are either un-gauged or difficult to access. The morphometry is usually analyzed through measurement of linear, aerial, relief, gradient of channel network, and contributing ground slope of the basin (Magesh et al., 2012). The hydrological behavior of a basin can be easily determined through the areal parameters (Mahala, 2020.) The evolutionary history of any basin can be best understood through the implication of different relief morphometric measures of drainage basin (Sharma and Sarma, 2013).

GIS and RS techniques are proven convenient methods for morphometric characterization of sub-watersheds and prioritization of watersheds. As the satellite images provide a synoptic view of a large area, the RS and GIS methods become very useful in the analysis of drainage basin morphometry (Rai et al., 2017). Thus, the morphometric analysis using spatial techniques has emerged to be the fast and efficient method as compared to most of the conventional methods (Rao et al., 2010) such as manual extraction of drainage network and assigning the stream order from a published Survey of India topographic map. The present study aims at using remote sensing and GIS technology to compute various parameters of morphometric characteristics of the Chaliyar River basin.

Introduction

Both beneficiary and deleterious microorganisms are present in food. Beneficiary microbes are used for the preparation of a number of dairy and meat products and are called Probiotics, whereas deleterious microbes can cause food poisoning. The quantitative analysis of food products is necessary to find out the presence of types of microorganisms.

Requirements

1. Food sample
2. Mechanical blender
3. Sterilised distilled water
4. Steilised distilled water blanks (9 ml)
5. Petri plates
6. Sterile Pipettes (1 ml)
7. Eiosin Methylene Blue agar medium
8. Incubator
9. Colony counter
10. Marker

Procedure

1. Weigh 1 g of well blended

Quantitative genetics is the study of continuous or quantitative traits and their underlying mechanisms. The main principals of quantitative genetics developed in the 20th century was largely in response to the rediscovery of Mendelian genetics. Mendelian genetics in 1900 centered attention on the inheritance of discrete characters, e.g., smooth vs. wrinkled peas, purple vs. white flowers. This focus was in stark contrast to the branch of genetic analysis by Sir Francis Galton in the 1870’s and 1880’s who focused on characteristics that were continuously variable and thus, not clearly separable into discrete classes. A contentious debate ensued between Mendelians and Biometricians regarding whether discrete characteristics have the same hereditary and evolutionary properties as continuously varying characteristics. I The Mendelians (led by William Bateson) believed that variation in discrete characters drove evolution through mutations with large effects I The Biometricians (led by Karl Pearson and W.F.R. Weldon) viewed evolution to be the result of natural selection acting on continuously distributed characteristics. This eventually led to a fusion of genetics and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection: main principals of quantitative genetics, developed independently by Ronald Fisher (1918) and Sewall Wright (1921), arguable the two most prominent evolutionary biologists.
Interestingly, Galton’s methodological approaches to continuously distributed traits marked the founding of the Biometrical school, which is what many consider to be the birth of modern statistics. Karl Pearson was inspired greatly by Galton, and he went on to develop a number of methods for the analysis of quantitative traits. We will talk more about Galton and Pearson later on in this course. One of the central goals of quantitative genetics is the quantification of the correspondence between phenotypic and genotypic values. It is well accepted that variation in quantitative traits can be attributable to many, possibly interacting, genes whose expression may be sensitive to the environment

Quantitative Traits

• Quantitative traits exhibit a continuum of phenotypic variation that may follow a normal distribution
• Statistical methods are used to evaluate a frequency distribution quantitatively
• Some statistical methods compare two variables with each other

Polygenic Inheritance

Polygenic inheritance and environmental factors create overlaps between genotypes and phenotypes

Polygenic inheritance explains DDT-resistance in Drosophila

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are now mapped by linkage to molecular markers

Introduction

Quantification of costs and revenues is necessary to evaluate farm performance in aquaculture at experimental station level. Such calculations aided by economic engineering methods can help in determining the most appropriate package of technologies for different categories of farmers in different geographical locations. The method described below is based on the works of T.V.R. Pillay (Aquaculture: Principles and Practices). The computation of capital cost (initial cost), annual operating cost (variable cost plus fixed cost), and gross revenue (income) shows the performance of aquaculture farms. In this chapter an attempt has been made to illustrate the above mentioned useful fundamental economic indicators along with the computational procedure of assessment of economic feasibility of aquacultural projects which is very important for any entrepreneur.

Introduction

Information Technology (IT) is a relatively-recent gift of Science and Technology for the mankind, revolutionising even the basic perception of people. It is a boon to the ever-growing complexities of life in each sphere. Be it simple household chores to the complex and humanly impossible task of advanced space research, Bioinformatics is the application of Information Technology in the field of bio- or life-sciences. The advantages from this fusion of two sciences are many. Bioinformatics in particular, and information technology revolution in general have been a grace to today’s biological researchers, particularly the groups involved in experiments at micro level, be it microorganisms (such as bacteria) of microbiologists or macromolecules (of micro/nano size, such as DNA/RNA) of geneticists/molecular biologists or the nanotechnologists. For example, computer software package IMPAC (Interactive Modeling Package for Carbohydrates) has its applications in the modeling of 3-D structure of carbohydrates. MYCIN is another package popular amongst medical doctors for diagnosis of bacteriological diseases and to prescribe treatments.

Abstract

Fertilizer inputs are increasing the cost of production in inputintensive crops, so nutrient efficientcultivar is need oftoday. More demands for food by increasing world populations further enhance the importance of nutrient efficient crop cultivars that are higher producers. Breedingtechniques havebeenimplemented significantlyto breed highnutrientefficient crop cultivars to achieve the targets. However, molecular mechanism of nutrient metabolism has been understood to some extent in many crops through quantitative genetic approaches. This minireview outlines an update on recent progress on the genetic approaches of QTL/candidate genes controlling nutrient metabolism pathways in the crop plants.

15.1. Cereals

15.1.1. Oat (Avena sativa)

Queen rearing and colony multiplication are central to sustainable and independent beekeeping, especially within the principles of natural farming. The queen bee serves as the core of the colony—ensuring reproduction and maintaining social cohesion through pheromonal signals that influence the behavior and unity of worker bees. A robust and fertile queen guarantees a consistent brood cycle, appropriate worker-to-drone ratios, and overall colony health. In natural systems, queens are raised without artificial grafting or chemical interference, allowing bees to follow their innate biological instincts.

Queen rearing occurs naturally through swarming or supersedure. During swarming, the old queen departs with a group of workers to establish a new colony, while the original hive nurtures a replacement queen. Supersedure takes place when bees sense the current queen is aging or weakening and raise a successor. Natural beekeepers can work in harmony with these processes—observing and supporting the development of queen cells, transferring brood or queen cells to new hives, and letting the colony follow its own cycle of renewal. This method enhances genetic strength and colony resilience.

Queen rearing and colony multiplication are central to sustainable and independent beekeeping, especially within the principles of natural farming. The queen bee serves as the core of the colony—ensuring reproduction and maintaining social cohesion through pheromonal signals that influence the behavior and unity of worker bees. A robust and fertile queen guarantees a consistent brood cycle, appropriate worker-to-drone ratios, and overall colony health. In natural systems, queens are raised without artificial grafting or chemical interference, allowing bees to follow their innate biological instincts. Queen rearing occurs naturally through swarming or supersedure. During swarming, the old queen departs with a group of workers to establish a new colony, while the original hive nurtures a replacement queen. Supersedure takes place when bees sense the current queen is aging or weakening and raise a successor. Natural beekeepers can work in harmony with these processes—observing and supporting the development of queen cells, transferring brood or queen cells to new hives, and letting the colony follow its own cycle of renewal. This method enhances genetic strength and colony resilience. Colony multiplication, or splitting, enables beekeepers to create new hives from existing strong colonies. This practice helps manage population growth, prevent overcrowding, and scale up apiary operations. In natural systems, splits are performed during the peak flowering season when food is plentiful. The process involves dividing a thriving colony into parts—each with brood, food stores, and sufficient workers. One portion retains the existing queen, while others rely on queen cells or larvae to develop new queens. This gentle method minimizes disturbance and aligns with the bees’ natural rhythms. Success in queen rearing and colony expansion depends on careful observation and practical knowledge. Beekeepers must learn to recognize queen cells, evaluate hive strength, and ensure conditions are suitable for natural mating and queen acceptance. Refraining from selective breeding and artificial techniques helps

‘Prunes’ is prepared from peach.

Arrak” liquor is prepared from date palm.

Hayane” variety of date palm suitable for juice making.

Kanji” is made from black carrot.

Kirschwascer” a wine prepared from cherry.

Shahi” variety of Litchi suitable for canning.

Q1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers.

1. India ranks …first…. position in cattle population in the world.

2. India ranks … first …. position in buffalo population in the world.

3. India ranks … first ……. position in total milk production in the world.

4. …Buffalo…….. species produce the highest amount of milk in India.

5. Frieswal cattle is a cross of …Holstein Friesian….and ……Sahiwal…

6. Mehsana buffalo is a cross of …Murrah….and ……Surti……

7. India ranks … first …. position in goat population in the world.

Q.1 Fill in the blanks

1. _______and_______are pulse crops.
2. Rice is a_______pollinated crop.
3. Different breeds of cattle are_______and_______
4. _______and_______are sugar crops.
5. _______Important cereals are_______and_______
6. _______and_______are examples of fibre crops.
7. _______Dapog method is originated from_______
8. The origin of rice is_______region.
9. Best temperature range for germination of wheat is_______oC.
10. Adsali sugarcane is of_______months duration.
11. _______portion is taken in cane for propagation

A. Write True or False
    1.    Bulk density is the true density of the soil.
    2.    Igneous rocks are acidic in nature.
    3.    Adhesion is the attraction of like molecules.
    4.    pH is the negative logarithm of Hydrogen ion concentration.
    5.    Limestone is a sedimentary rocks.
    6.    Size of the gravel is more than 2mm.
    7.    Black and dark colour of soil is due to organic matter and iron.
    8.    Soil moisture tension at Permanent wilting point corresponds to 15 atm. 
    9.    Micropores are the large pores present in the soil.
    10.    Oxidation is the removal of oxygen from the minerals.
    11.    Straight fertilizer contains only one nutrient.

A. Multiple Choice Questions

1. While studying the history of domestication of various cultivated plants were recognized earlier:
   1. Centers of origin
   2. Centers of domestication
   3. Centres of hybrid
   4. Centres of variation
2. The quickest method of plant breeding is:
   1. Mutation breeding
   2. Hybridization
   3. Selection
   4. Introduction

1. The botanical name of West Indian birch is
   1. Bursera simaruba
   2. Bursera serratea
   3. Bursera gumifera
   4. Bursera javanica
2. The following genus is commonly known as khus
   1. Cymbopogan
   2. Chrysopogan
   3. Ocimum
   4. Apium
3. Ceylon citronella indigenous to
   1. India
   2. China
   3. Central Africa
   4. Ceylon

1. Atropa belladonna contains which alkaloids is
   1. 1-hyoscyamine
   2. N-methyl-puridine
   3. Atropine
   4. Pyridine
2. Withania somnifera is commonly known in english
   1. Belladonna
   2. Liquorice
   3. Blue cherry
   4. Winter cherry
3. Botanical name of black nightshade is
   1. Solanum tarvum
   2. Solanum xanthocarpum
   3. Solanum nigrum
   4. Solanum viarum

1. Mostly cultivated arecanut species is
   1. Areca catechu
   2. Areca triandra
   3. Both a and b
   4. None of these
2. Wonder nut is commonly known as
   1. Cashew nut
   2. Cocoa
   3. Coconut
   4. Arecanut
3. The following inflorescence type of cashew is
   1. Racemose
   2. Auxiliary
   3. Cymose
   4. Terminal panicle

1. Which one of the following is the botanical name of dill
   1. Cuminum cyminum
   2. Trychospremum ammi
   3. Apium graveolens
   4. Anethum graveolens
2. The normally in cardamom could be seen in
   1. Throughout year
   2. 4 month
   3. 6 month
   4. 2 month
3. The hortus malabaricus is written by
   1. Ravindran
   2. Subramniyan
   3. Hendrick Van Rheede
   4. Venugopaln Nambiyar

1. Which round of plucking done in tea plantation
   1. 10 – 15
   2. 20 – 25
   3. 45 – 50
   4. 30 – 40
2. The method of oil extraction from fresh coconut was developed by
   1. CFTRI
   2. IARI
   3. IIHR
   4. CPCRI
3. The fresh arecanut fruits are preserved in thick layer of made and this product referred to as
   1. Bura tamul
   2. Chali
   3. Clay preserving
   4. Mud preservation

1. The average dry yield of gymnema is
   1. 2 – 3 kg/plant
   2. 5 – 6 kg/plant
   3. 20 – 25 kg/plant
   4. 10 – 12 kg/plant
2. Isabgol will be ready for harvest in
   1. 80 – 90 days
   2. 60 – 70days
   3. 140 – 150 days
   4. 110 – 130 days
3. The liquorice uprooting in the month of
   1. November – December
   2. February – March
   3. August – September
   4. June – July

1. Ginger rhizomes peeled and soaked in lime water is called as
   1. Garbled
   2. Bleached ginger
   3. Non garbled
   4. Unbleached ginger
2. Harvesting period of cardamom is
   1. October to November
   2. June to July
   3. December to January
   4. March to April
3. Which of following month is flowering period in black pepper
   1. July – August
   2. May – June
   3. November – December
   4. January – February

1. The economic part of bursera is
   1. Root
   2. Leaves
   3. Stem and root
   4. Berries
2. Oil yield of thyme is
   1. 62 kg /ha
   2. 21 kg /ha
   3. 35 kg /ha
   4. 11 kg /ha
3. The oil yield of anise is
   1. 15 kg/ha
   2. 5 kg/ha
   3. 25 kg/ha
   4. 50 kg/ha

1. The leaf roller is an important pest of
   1. Lemongrass
   2. Citronella
   3. Mint
   4. Bursera
2. The following aromatic plants is susceptible to powdery mildew
   1. Sacred basil
   2. Thyme
   3. Geranium
   4. Rosemary
3. Meloidogyne hapla is reported to affect
   1. Thyme
   2. Geranium
   3. Sage
   4. Lavender

1. The major disease of isabgol is
   1. Powdery mildew
   2. Leaf spot
   3. leaf blight
   4. Downey mildew
2. The damping off is a series disease in
   1. Ipecac
   2. Aloe
   3. Indian penny wart
   4. Glory lilly
3. The following medicinal plants is affected by termites causes a lot of damage to young plants
   1. Gymnema
   2. Glory lilly
   3. Henbane
   4. Liquorice

1. The Following disease of cocoa is characterized by formation of water soaked lesions on pod either at tip or stalk
   1. Collectotrichum pod rot
   2. Withches broom
   3. Charcoal pod rot
   4. Blight
2. The following species of coffee is affected by white stem borer grown under inadequate shade
   1. Robusta
   2. Arabica
   3. Tree coffee
   4. both a and B
3. The following disease is major in arecanut
   1. Koleroga
   2. Fruit rot
   3. Mohali
   4. All of these

1. Mostly cultivated arecanut species is
   1. Areca catechu
   2. Areca triandra
   3. Both a and b
   4. None of these
2. Wonder nut is commonly known as
   1. Cashew nut
   2. Cocoa
   3. Coconut
   4. Arecanut
3. The following inflorescence type of cashew is
   1. Racemose
   2. Auxiliary
   3. Cymose
   4. Terminal panicle

1. Seed rate of celery is
   1. 0.5 kg/ha
   2. 2.5 kg/ha
   3. 0.25 kg/ha
   4. 1.5 kg/ha
2. Davana seedlings will be ready for transplanting
   1. 10 – 12 weeks after sowing
   2. 6 – 8 weeks after sowing
   3. 4 – 5 weeks after sowing
   4. 2 – 3 weeks after sowing
3. Bursera planting is done at a spacing of
   1. 2 m x 2 m
   2. 4 m x 4 m
   3. 6 m x 6 m
   4. 8 m x 8 m

1. Liquorice is propagated by
   1. Seeds and stem cuttings
   2. Root cuttings and stem cuttings
   3. Seeds, root cuttings and stem cuttings
   4. Seeds alone
2. Belladonna plants will be ready for planting in main field when they attain a height of
   1. 15 – 20 cm after 8 – 12 weeks
   2. 15 – 20 cm after 2 – 4 weeks
   3. 4 – 8 cm after 8 – 12 weeks
   4. 40 – 45 cm after 8 – 12 weeks
3. The cinchona seeds germinate in ___ days after sowing
   1. 60 – 65
   2. 5 – 10
   3. 20 – 40
   4. 10 – 15

1. The following in meters for High Density Planting (HDP) which enhances the productivity of cashew
   1. 4 x 4
   2. 8 x 8
   3. 3 x 2
   4. 2 x2
2. Which of the following month for seed sowing of cocoa
   1. May – June
   2. December – January
   3. July – August
   4. February – March
3. The following week for seed germination in tea
   1. 2 – 3
   2. 8 – 10
   3. 4 – 6
   4. 1 – 2

1. Ginger is generally planted in the month of
   1. January – February
   2. August – September
   3. March – June
   4. October – December
2. Which one of the following slope is preferred for planting of clove
   1. North – West
   2. North – East
   3. South – East
   4. South – North
3. Ginger seedlings will be ready for transplanting
   1. 10 – 15 days
   2. 10 – 15 days
   3. 30 – 40 days
   4. 60 – 70 days

1. Pick odd one out
   1. Nima
   2. Pragati
   3. Jeva 2
   4. Praman
2. The following type of vetiver is high in oil yield but its oil quality is inferior
   1. East Indian Type
   2. North Indian Type
   3. West Indian Type
   4. South Indian Type
3. Vaishnavi is a variety of
   1. Vetiver
   2. Lemongrass
   3. Palmarosa
   4. Patchouli

1. K-8 is a variety of
   1. Aloe
   2. Coleus
   3. Ashwagandha
   4. Buckwheat
2. The following variety is aloe vera
   1. CIM – Sheel
   2. CIM - Sheetel
   3. CIM – Jeevan
   4. CIM - Mithi
3. Haryana Mulhatti -1 is a variety of
   1. Fox Glove
   2. Long pepper
   3. Liquorice
   4. Safed musli

1. The following hybrid of cocoa is a cross between CCRP 1 x CCRP 7
   1. CCRP 6
   2. CCRP 9
   3. CCRP 10
   4. CCRP 8
2. VHC-3 hybrid of coconut is developed by
   1. Aliyar
   2. Veppankulam
   3. Pattukottai
   4. TNAU, Coimbatore
3. Which one of the following varieties of coffee is multiple crosses
   1. Selection 2
   2. Selection 1
   3. Selection 4
   4. Selection 3

1. Pick the odd one out
   1. Athira
   2. Karthika
   3. Suguna
   4. Aswathy
2. Sreekara is variety of
   1. Turmeric
   2. Black Pepper
   3. Ginger
   4. Cinnamon
3. Find the odd one out
   1. HM107
   2. ML-150
   3. CO4
   4. Pusa early bunching

Introduction

Germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed or similar structure. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. Quick germination is the various ways and means that really fastened the process of seed germination. Through various ways, it is possible to reduce the time of germination by 70 per cent and also the success rate of germination can also be doubled.

Reagents

Restriction enzymes of choice, such as BamH1 and EcoRI

Restriction enzyme reaction buffer,

70 % Ethanol

100 % Ethanol

3 M Sodium acetate (pH 5.2)

Distilled water

Plasmid DNA isolated from bacteria, such as pGFP(R) and pBC(R)

I. FILL UPS

1. The quick viability test was developed by _____.
2. _____ is a biochemical test.
3. The indicator used for quick viability test is _____.
4. For maize seeds, the method followed for staining is _____.

The relative long periods of time required for completion of germination tests delays the seed marketing. This necessiated the development of rapid methods for estimating the germination capacity of seeds. This test was developed by Lakon (1942) in Germany.

1. PRINCIPLE

It is a biochemical test, in which living cells are made visible by reduction of an indicator dye. The indicator used is 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. Within the seed tissues, it interferes with the reduction processes of living cells and accepts hydrogen from the hydrogenases. By hydrogenation of the 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, a red stable and non diffusible substance, triphenyl formazan is produced in living cells (Fig. 1).

This chapter sheds light on a geohazard namely quicksand. Unlike other geohazards, it waits for its victims to cause hazard. Though discounted as a myth and also as a monster problem in Hollywood film stories, phenomenon of quicksand is real and could inflict life threatening dangers. Analyses of genetic causes, associated properties and locales of its occurrences indicate that more deaths might have resulted due to panic and drowning in waters than by quicksand itself. Based on these inferences, potential mitigation measures are presented in this chapter.

INTRODUCTION

Quicksand, referred as “pudhai manal” in Tamil, is one of the lesser known dangerous natural phenomena that cause death of human and other unsuspecting animals. It is a geohazard of different sort. It is different in a sense that it never “goes” anywhere like tsunami or causes hazard like flood or landslide or any other geohazard; but it waits for hapless victims; that is., it is harmless until human beings or other fauna step into the region of quicksand. It is commonly prevalent in many river beds and other locales near water bodies located amidst dense forests. Many a deaths occur due to quicksand but go unnoticed owing to its “non catastrophic” nature. It is also a geohazard less understood pertaining to causes of formation, potential to cause damage and occurrence (www.mythbuster.com). This chapter is an attempt to review the existing literature on this geohazard for better understanding.

In managing diseases of horticultural crops, pathogen quiescence has important implications in timing prophylaxis, the reduction of stresses that trigger the transition of quiescence to aggression, and managing the harvested crop to prolong quiescence to the point at which yield is no longer affected. The inception of pathogen quiescence and its maintenance on or within the host implies a dynamic equilibrium between the host, the pathogen, and their environment. Physiological and physical changes in the host, its environment, or both trigger changes in that equilibrium to permit the pathogen to resume aggression. Microorganisms lying on the host surface constitute a potential latent infection; as can be the case with Botrytis cinerea conidia that are prevented from germinating by antagonistic bacteria on leaf surfaces (William R. Jarvis, 1994). Quiescence can run the spectrum from the ungerminated spore; through symptomless, internal infections; to visible but nonexpanding lesions, such as ghost spot of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) to expanding lesions on banana caused by Colletotrichum musae and on avocado caused by C. gloeosporioides.

A latent, dormant, or quiescent parasitic relationship is a condition in which the pathogen spends long periods during the host’s life in a quiescent stage until, under specific circumstances, it becomes active. Epidemiologists might refer to the period from spore landing until the parasitized tissue produces new spores as a latent period (Dov Prusky, 1996). The term “period of quiescence” is referred to differentiate the quiescent parasitic relationship from the latent period. Quiescence can be enforced during the various processes of fungal attack, which suggests that quiescence may or could occur during any of the processes leading from fungal germination to colonization.

1. Introduction

Quince is a highly nutritious underutilized fruit of sub-Himalayan region which has great economics and medicinal potential and it belongs to the group of the oldest cultural plants. Quince is known with different names, Urdu name ‘Bahee Dana’, Farsi name ‘Beh’, Greek name ‘Strythion’, Kashmiri name ‘Bamchunth’ and Hindi name ‘Bihi’ (Torkelson, 1995, Khoubnasabjafari and Jouyban, 2011). Quince is very much like pear in shape and gets a golden yellowish outer layer when mature. Quince fruit is a valuable dietary product and even then it less suitable for the direct consumption (Hricovsky et al., 2003) and for that reason they are mostly used either cooked (Alvarenga et al., 2008) or preserved (Kyzlink, 1990). However, as compared with other species, this fruit tree species is less popular throughout the world. Its predisposition to turning brown and decay is a limiting factor in the long-term storage of this fruit (Gunes, 2008). The nutritional value of the fruit is high (Bucsek et al., 1996; Kopec and Balik 2008). It is well known that quince fruit shows antioxidant effects (Silva et al., 2002) which result from the presence of a number of polyphenolic substances (Fattouch et al., 2007), e.g. flavonoids quercetin, rutin, kaemp ferol etc. (Silva et al., 2005), and also from increased levels of vitamin C (Tetera, 2006). Quince has the important nutritional and flavor composition more than many fruits. Vitamin C content of quince is nearly two times higher than in apple (Biro and Lindner, 1999).

Genus : Cydonia / Pyrus
Species : oblonga Mill. vulgaris Pers. 
                cydonia L.
Family : Rosaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n= 34

The fruit of pome class referred as Cydonia oblonga (also Pyrus cydonia) is an ancient fruit and yet its significance is not fully recognized and crop has received very less attention. There is hardly any mention of this old fruit in respect of its merit, its cultivation or in the form of some standard literature. One reason could be that amongst pome fruits where quince is placed, better fruit form, raw eating quality persisted, which markedly restricted quince improvement. Quince fruit lacks dessert class except when cooked but is commercially used for flavouring, in preparation of jellies marmalade and preserves. However in near East and Persia, quince cultivation is highly improved through the selection of better varieties which are eaten raw.

food, known to have been cultivated before 6000 BC in whole Andean region, Columbia, Peru, Equador, Bolivia before the conquest of Spanish. Incas have called this crop as a mother grain and was considered sacred. But in course of time, Catholics have suppressed the cultivation of crop after discovering it as a sacred drink during various religious ceremonies and hence the crop remained in the places where European could not reach (Vega Galvez, 2010).